sri narasimha darshanam 112-singiri koil -...

SRI NARASIMHA DARSHANAM 112 SINGRI KOIL

BHAKTA PRAHLADA CARITRAM (from SrImad bhAgavatam)

daSakam 24

SLOKAM 6

adhIteshu SreshTham kimiti pariprshTe atha tanaye bhavat bhaktim varyAm abhigadati paryAkuladhrti: | gurubhyo roshitvA sahajamatirasyetyabhividan vadhopAyAnasmin vyatanuta bhavatpAdasharaNe || 6 Word-For-Word Meaning: atha adhIteshu SreshTham kim iti pariprshTe tanaye = afterwards, hiraNya kaSipu asked his son prahlAdan about what was the best he learned that day among all the lessons the teachers taught him bhavat bhaktim varyAm abhigadati = the son replied that hari bhakti is the best among all lessons paryAkuladhrti: gurubhya: roshitvA = (hearing this), hiraNya kaSipu got disheartened and got angry at the teachers asya sahaja matiriti abhividhan = He also recognized that the bhakti of prahlAdan is a result of pUrva janma vaasanai bhavat pAda SaraNe asmin vadhOpAyAn vyatanuta = and began to think about ways to kill prahlAdan,who sought the feet of hari as His sure protection. Commentary: In SrImat bhAgavatam 7.5.22, hiraNya kaSipu asks his son: “prahlAda! anUcyatAm tAta svadhItam kimcit uttamam?”. Oh PrahlAdhA! Among all th ethings you learnt today at School from your teachers, what is the best?. PrahlAdhA responded that hari bhakti is the best among all he learnt. The 6th slOkam of SrI Bahttadhiri is an echo of that passage from SrImad bhAgavatam. Child prahlAdan’s answer to his Father’s question on what was the best (adhItam uttamam) he learnt that day was: SravaNam kIrtanam vishNo: smaraNam pAda sevanam arcanAm vandanam dAsyam sakhyam Atma nivedanam


iti pumsArpitA vishNou bhakti: cen nava lakshaNA kriyeta bhagavatyaddhA tan manye adhItam uttamam

-- SrImadbhAgavatam 7.5.23-24

prahlAdhan’s answer was that the pursuit of one of the nine methods of expression of bhakti to hari is the best lesson that he learnt that day. These nine routes referred to by prahlAdhan with examples are: (1) bhagavat kathASravaNam (Listening to the stories about the Lord, hari kathA like Emperor parIkshit (2) Recital of those stories/kIrtanam like sukha brahmam (3)Meditation and thinking about the Lord/smaraNam like prahlAdan and dhruvan (4)worship of the Lord’s sacred feet/pada sevanam like mahA lakshmi (5) arcanam (moorthy pUjanam) like akrUrar (6) vandanam/namaskaraNam of the Lord (7) dAsyam or performing kaimakaryams as the servant of the Lord like Anajaneya (8) sakhyam or expression of friendship to hari like arjuna and (9) Aatma nivedanam or self-surrender like mahA bali, the grandson of prahlAdan. None of the nine kinds of bhaktis are hard to follow. prahlAdan’s bhagavat bhakti is the best lesson that he had learned. hiraNya kaSipu was angry at the teachers. He recognized that pUrva janma sukrtams were the reason for his son’s disposition and assessed that prahlAdan can not be swayed away from the adoration of his enemy. He decided therefore to get rid of his son, who held on to hari’s (his enemy’s) sacred feet as his salvation. hiraNya kaSipu recognized that pUrva Janma sukrtams, sAdhu satsangam and sadAcArya upadesam have been the causes for his son’s extraordinary


bhakti to his enemy, hari and decided to kill his son one way or the other.The next slOkam covers the many ways he tried to kill his son.

Courtesy: http://www.srihayagrivan.org/ebooks/075_spc.pdf

Location:

There is another Lakshmi Narasimhar temple at a place called Singiri Kudi (also called Singiri Koil) in the Pondicherry – Cuddalore route which is a very popular one. So there are two places in the name of Singiri Koil and both of them have Lakshmi Narasimhar temples (!).

This Singiri Koil is on the Vellore – Polur (Thiruvannamalai) route and is about 5 kms west of Kannamangalam(which is a big town). While coming from Vellore, after Vellore Govt Medical College and Nelvoy, we branched off to the right (towards west) at a place called Kaniyambadi. This road branches off to the left after a few kms. There is a small board here for the temple but you have to be watchful not to miss it. This goes through a place called Keezh Arasmapat to Singiri Koil. While coming back, since we wanted to go to Padavedu, we went through another road that goes through Kannamangalam and caught up the Vellore – Polur road again. Kannamangalam is 20 km from Vellore and 28 km from Polur on the Vellore – Polur route.

SINGRI KOIL, is a hamlet, situated at a distance of about 25 kilometres from Vellore, in erstwhile North Arcot district and is off the main road from Vellore to Polur. It is an exclusive shrine for Lord Lakshmi Narasimha and is believed to be at least 1,000 years old.


Distance:

Chennai (Adyar) – Vellore Bypass junction : 142 km Vellore Bypass – Kaniyambadi: 25 km Kaniyambadi – Temple: 7 km


This 10th century shrine is said to have been built by the local chieftain, Rajavarman, at the behest of Lord Narasimha, who appeared in his dream.

The temple is not one of the 108 divya desas, neither is it one of the `abhimaana sthalas.' It is not included in the 108 kshetras visited by Ramanuja either.

Yet it has been visited by millions of devotees. The temple is on a small hillock, which is nearly 80 to 90 feet high and can be reached after climbing about 50 steps.

The main idol in the sanctum sanctorum is that of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha. The Lord is seen in a sitting posture with four hands — two hands hold the conch and the discus, His third (left) hand is on his lap and fourth (right) hand is around the waist of Goddess Lakshmi. The image of the Lord is nearly six feet in height.

The Lord with Goddess Lakshmi seated on his right lap is a unique spectacle. This inimitable posture of the Lord and the Goddess is the main attraction of the Temple. Thirumanjanam is performed on every Swathi Nakshatram, which is the birth star of Narasimha.

There is a separate shrine for Sri Lord Anjaneya, who is known here as Sri Bala Anjaneya.


The idol is one foot high. Bala Anjaneya, who appears like a small child is believed to bestow the boon of parenthood on the childless. The temple also has a separate shrine for Sri Garuda.

Narasimha Jayanthi, Vaikunda Ekadesi, Ratha Sapthami, Tamil and English New Year and Purattasi Saturdays are celebrated at this temple at Singri.

There is a big hill and at the foot of the hill, this temple is situated on a small hillock. When we went near the temple, we saw a tiny river flowing in front of the temple and we have to cross the river by foot. This is one of the most beautiful scenic and dreamy spot.

According Bhattacharyar, the temple will be closed if the river flows in full stream and this happens for about a week in a year. He said that during this year’s Vaikunda Ekadhasi celebrations only he and Perumal were there at the temple.

The sanctum sanctorum and the Lord were the other sweet surprises. The sanctum sanctorum was quite big with the Lakshmi Narasimhar in sitting posture in Santha roopam with Goddess Lakshmi on His right lap (usually He will have His consort on His left lap). The Lord is about 6 feet high with four hands – two hands hold the conch and the chakra, third (left) hand is on His lap and the fourth (right) hand is around the waist of Goddess Lakshmi. The adornment for the Lord and the sanctum sanctorum were so beautiful that anybody without much devotion will easily fall in love with the deity.

Bhattar informed that as per the inscriptions around the sanctum sanctorum, this is a 1300 years old temple built during Pallava Rayar period by the King Nandhi Varman. The 13th generation of the Bhattar family is taking care of the temple now.


The Samprokshanam of the temple took place only last year and the Rajagopuram work is going on currently. Since there is no place for Rajagopuram at the front, it is being constructed at the back side and it is planned to have Samprokshnam for the Rajagopuram on 19th Aug 2008.

There is a separate shrine for Sri Anjaneya, who is known here as Sri Bala Anjaneya. The idol is one foot high. Bala Anjaneya, who appears like a small child is believed to bestow the boon of parenthood to the childless. The temple also has a separate shrine for Sri Garuda.

Significance: One of the most beautiful scenic spots; Lakshmi Narasimhar with four hands, in Santha roopa with His consort on His right lap (usually He will have His consort on His left lap).

Poojas and Festivals: Thirumanjanam is performed on every Swathi Nakshatram, which is the birth star of Narasimha. Narasimha Jayanthi, Vaikunda Ekadesi, Ratha Sapthami, Tamil and English New Year and Purattasi Saturdays are celebrated here.

Darshan Timings: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. — 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Buses on route No. 15-S (limited schedules — 8.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m.) ply from Vellore to Singri Koil. The journey time is one hour and 10 minutes.

Contact: Rajagopala Bhattachar Ph: 94430 99043 Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Vellore District, Singrikoil-632312.

Courtesy

http://shanthiraju.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/singiri-koil/ Sriman Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

sri narasimha darshanam 112-singiri koil -...

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